USJ names Martha Sheffield as new volleyball coach
University School of Jackson announced Wednesday its new volleyball coach is Martha Sheffield, who becomes the team's fifth coach in five years.
"I have missed volleyball for a couple of years," Sheffield said. "When we moved to Nashville, I had my kids, and it was not God's timing yet. It was time to get back in it, and it is time for USJ to have a successful volleyball team again."
USJ has completed its 10th season in Division II-A with one sub-state appearance (2010). The Lady Bruins made six state tournament appearances the previous 12 years before moving to Division II-A.
Sheffield has spent the past two seasons as an assistant girls basketball coach and assistant athletic director at Jackson Christian.
She does have experience coaching volleyball as she became a graduate assistant coach at Freed-Hardeman under Todd Humphry after playing for him during her collegiate career. She also spent time coaching at Christ Presbyterian Academy, Fayette Academy, Chester County and Hardin County and in the travel team ranks with the Jackson Juniors.
Rebuilding will be key for Sheffield as she takes over a team that was below .500 last season and graduated two seniors.
So she made sure in talking to the players on Wednesday to bring the excitement as she talked about playing sand volleyball this summer at North Park and going to a summer camp at the University of Tennessee.
"I love volleyball," Sheffield said. "I want other girls to love the sport like I do. The sport has grown a lot in West Tennessee. Bringing my past into it, playing in sand volleyball tournaments and my time playing travel Florida, I want to develop the love for it here."
Sheffield broke Freed-Hardeman records for most assists in a match, season and career.
Since Kimberly McNeal ended her five-year tenure in 2015, USJ has gone through Christa Hutchison (2016), Rebekah Smith (2017) and Sarah Hartsfield (2018).
"We will be stressing communication and consistency," Sheffield said. "You talk to any program, and you have to start somewhere. All we are going to do is look forward. Volleyball is a sport where you can't reflect on a play that just happened. It is a forward-thinking mentality."
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Reach Michael Odom at michodom@jacksonsun.com or 731-425-9754. Follow him on Twitter @JSWriterMichael.